There are a few odd foods to try on the list. Balut seems to bring up the most visceral reaction. It took a little research. In this case it is a fertilized duck egg. That means there is an actual duck inside. I went with a relatively young version so I never noticed things like a beak.

Preserved duck eggs package

I found them at a local market (Ranch 99). Instructions say to steam them or boil them for 20 minutes. I boiled mine. One of the cracked quickly, I ended up not eating that one.

Then we get to the eating. I read that flaky salt and vinegar were good condiments. It didn’t smell bad, mostly like a smoky boiled egg. The texture was also very egg like. Instead of whites it seemed more like gelatin, dark instead of white. Further in the texture was more variable but never that off putting.

In the end I’m not going to add this to a regular meal rotation. I also wouldn’t run away screaming.